Apparatus for spraying hollow bodies



A ril 19, 1966 J. w. CORNELIUS 3,246,732

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING HOLLOW BODIES Filed Sept. 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l 61-1 I J,K,L|M, N o, P

INVENTOR. 09 (14/455 144 6 09/1/54 /U.5

April 19, 1966 J. w. CORNELIUS APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING HOLLOW BODIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1963 INVENTOR. @4455 W COP/V67. /u$

A r Tam/E Y5 United States Patent 3,245,732 APPARATUS FOR SPRAYKNG HOLLOW BBDIES .iames W. Cornelius, Detroit, Mich, assignor to The De Vilbiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 310,526 2 Claims. (Cl. 198179) This invention relates to apparatus for spraying hollow bodies and more particularly to apparatus for cleaning containers.

Various types of container-cleaning apparatus are used in industry today for cleaning new containers before they are to be filled and for re-using certain types of containers. The apparatus according to the instant invention has been specifically developed to clean aluminum cans which are manufactured either by extrusion or by a deep draw process. Such cans have a film thereon when discharged from the press, which film must also be removed during the cleaning operation.

The cleaning apparatus according to the invention is capable of cleaning a large number of containers in a short period of time and in a minimum amount of space. This is made possible by closely and compactly spacing the containers and closely position-ing the sprays to which they are subjected. The new cleaning apparatus also provides a unique means for holding the containers during the washing operation, which holding means also facilitates loading and unloading of the containers.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for cleaning or otherwise treating containers and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for holding containers when they are subjected to a spray, which means facilitates loading and unloading of the containers.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in vertical longitudinal section of container cleaning apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, on an enlarged scale, of apparatus for spraying liquid on containers and taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic, fragmentary view in perspective of apparatus for conveying and holding the containers through the cleaning apparatus;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a portion of the conveying means of FIG. 3, and showing sprays in relation to a container being cleaned;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, plan view of the conveying apparatus of BIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a portion of the conveying apparatus taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of slightly modified means for holding and positioning the containers;

FIG. 8 is a detailed view similar to FIG. 7 showing another modified means for holding and positioning the containers.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, apparatus for cleaning containers is indicated at 10 and includes three basic components, a washer 12, a dryer l4, and a cooler 16. In the washer 12, the containers, which may be drawn o-r extruded aluminum cans, for example, are loaded on a conveyor indicated at 18 in a zone A and are subsequently carried through an entrance zone B of the Washer 12 and into a kerosene wash in zone C. The kerosene is then blown off the cans and they are allowed to drain in zone D, after which they receive a detergent wash in zone E, again being blown off "ice and drained in zone F. The cans are then subjected to a hot water rinse in zone G and drained in zone H, after which another rinse is received in zone I and the cans are allowed to drain in zone J, the rinse and drain being repeated in zones K and L. The cans then receive an unheated tap water rinse in zone M and are blown off and drained in zone N. Finally, the cans receive a deionized rinse in zone 0 and another blow-off and drain in zone P. Subsequently, the cans are dried in the dryer 14 and cooled in the cooler 16, after which they are removed from the conveyor 18.

The liquid is applied to the cans by means of sprays in the wash zones C, E, G, I, K, M, and O. The spray apparatus employed in the detergent wash zone B, for example, is shown in somewhat more detail in FIG. 2. Here, the conveyor 18 carries cans designated 20 between upper and lower spray pipes 22 and 24 having nozzles directing the liquid at the ends and the interiors of the cans as they pass thereby. The liquid is supplied to the spray pipes 22 and 24 by means of a suitable pump 26 which receives the liquid from a pool 28 in the lower portion of the washer 12. The liquid is collected below the cans 2t), after which it flows past a suitable heater 30 and through a filter 32 before being supplied to the pump 26 again.

The conveyor 18 constitutes a novel part of the appar-atus 10 and contributes importantly to the capacity of the washer 12. This is made possible in part because the conveyor 18 carries the cans 20 in closely spaced relationship to enable a large number of cans to be processed rapidly and in a relatively small space. The conveyor 18 also contributes to the high washing rate by enabling cans to be loaded and unloaded very rapidly so that the washing rate need not be held back by the loading and unload ing operations.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, the conveyor 13 has a pair of side chains '34 which include links 36 and rollers 38, the rollers 38 being rotatably supported on side rails 43 which extend longitudinally of the washer l2 and are supported thereby. The chains 34 are moved through the washer 12, the dryer 14, and the cooler 16 by suitable drive sprockets located at the discharge end of the cooler 16. Pairs of transverse bars 42 and 44 extend between the chains 34 transversely of the washer 12 in closely spaced, parallel relationship. The bars 42 and 44 carry can supports indicated at 46 which will be discussed in detail more fully subsequently. With this overall arrangement, the cans 2% can be carried closely together, being spaced apart only five inches, for example, along the bars 42 and 44, and with the pairs of bars 42 and 44 being spaced apart only six inches, for example.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, the stationary bar 42 is connected to the chain link 36 by a small L-shaped bracket 48 bolted to a longer U-shaped bracket 5%. The first bracket can be connected to the link pins of the chains 34 and the latter bracket can be welded to the stationary bar 42, for example. The U shaped bracket 50 enables a connection to be made between the chain 34 and the bar 42 with the chain 34 being protected from the various sprays by means of a splash deflector 52 (FIG. 4). The bar 42 is, of course, similarly supported at its opposite end.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 6, the movable bar 44 is slidably supported by the stationary bar 42 by means of a bolt 54 extending through a slot 56 in the movable bar 44. Suitable washers 58, preferably of one of the known slippery plastic materials, are located on the bolt 54 on each side of the movable bar 44.

The can support 46 includes two upright supporting members 66 and 62 which are welded, bolted, or otherwise suitably affixed to the stationary and movable bars 42 and 44, respectively. When the movable bar 44 is in a loading and unloading position, as shown in FIG. 4 and the upper half of FIG. 5, the supporting members 60 and 62 are adjacent one another so that the cams 26 can be loaded on and unloaded from the can supports 46 very rapidly. After the loading operation, the movable bar 44 is moved toward the right in FIGS. 4 and 5 to separate the supporting members 60 and 62 a predetermined distance as shown in the lower half of FIG. 5, which distance is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the cans 20. This motion will automatically properly center each of the cans 2t) and place it in a vertical position, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. The can 20 usually will be in a cocked position when loaded on the can support 46, as shown in FIG. 6, and will automatically move to a vertical position as the supporting members 60 and 62 move apart. The upright supporting members 60 and 62 then remain in the spaced position throughout the washer 12, the dryer 14, and the cooler 16 until they are ready to be unloaded, after which the bar 44 is again moved in the opposite direction to again place the members 60 and 62 in the adjacent position from which the cans 20 can be easily unloaded or even dumped from the supporting members as the conveyor starts on its return run back to the charge end of the washer 12.

Any suitable means can be used to move the supporting members 60 and 62. As shown, the movable bar 44 is moved by shifting lugs 64 suitably aflixed at the ends thereof with the lug 64 at the left end being engaged by a cam member 66 (FIGS. 3 and 5) disposed adjacent the conveyor 18 at the loading end. The cam member 66 has a slanted portion which engages the lug 64 and forces it toward the opposite side of the conveyor, thereby moving the movable bar 44 and forcing apart the supports 60 and 62. At the unloading zone,

another cam member 68 (FIG. 3) is positioned near the opposite side of the conveyor 18 and this cam member engages the lug at the opposite end of the bar 44 to move the bar 44 back to its original position with the supporting members 60 and 62 again assuming an adjacent position. Of course, various cam arrangements can be employed and, if desired, only one of the cam lugs 64 need be employed with both of the cam members 66 and 68 being positioned at the same side of the conveyor 18. Other shifting devices also can be used, such as air motors or rams attached to the movable bar 44 and actuated remotely when desired.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the supporting members 60 and 62 are in their spaced position and the can supported thereby is centered and upright, spray nozzles 70 connected to the upper spray pipe 22 impinge spray on the end of the can 20 while spray nozzles 7.2 connected to the lower spray pipe 24 direct spray into the interior of the can 20, which spray impinges on the inner surface of the end of the can. By properly designing the spray nozzle arrangement and pressure, the spray from the upper nozzles 70 can be made stronger than those from the lower nozzles 72 so that the upper spray keeps the cans 20 on the can supports 46 without requiring frictional fit. On the other hand, if desired, the supporting members 60 and 62 can be maintained in their spaced positions with suflicient force as to frictionally engage and securely hold the cans 20.

The supporting members can be of numerous other designs. For example, they can be convoluted, as represented by the convoluted supporting members '74 of FIG. 7, to minimize contact between the supporting member and the cam and minimize interference with the cleaning sprays. The same purpose can be accomplished with supporting members 76 of FIG. 8, which members include enlarged portions 78 which are intended to engage the interior of the can with more or less pin-point contact. In any event, the supporting members should be effective to engage the cam at least two longitudinally spaced points on generally diametrically opposed sides thereof in order to maintain the can in the substantially vertical position and prevent it from moving off the supporting members when subjected to the force of the sprays.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the use of liquid sprays applied to the containers, it will be apparent that the can-supporting mechanism will be equally useful when the can bodies are treated with a gaseous spray, and that the operation of the mechanisms will be substantially unchanged.

Various modifications of the above-described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is: v

1. Apparatus for transporting and supporting hollow bodies for spraying the bodies with liquid in a spraying zone, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced, parallel conveyor chains, a plurality of spaced, parallel supporting bars affixed to corresponding portions of said chains and extending therebetween, said supporting bars being substantially uniformly spaced along said chain, a movable bar supported by each of said supporting bars and mov-- ably attached thereto for movement in a direction longitudinally of said supporting bars, a plurality of vertical supporting members rigidly attached to each of said supporting bars and said movable bars at uniformly spaced intervals with the members of each of said supporting bars and the associated movable bar being parallel, means for supporting said conveyor chains and for directing said chains for movement through the spraying zone, a first cam located adjacent said chain in front of said spraying zone and engageable with said movable bars to move said vertical members carried thereby from positions adjacent the associated vertical members of said supporting bars to positions spaced from the associated members of the supporting bars, with the spacing being substantially equal to an internal dimension of the hollow bodies to enable said members, when in the spaced positions, to support said bodies in upright positions when passing through said spraying zone, and a second cam located adjacent said chain beyond said spraying zone and engageable with said movable bars to move the vertical members carried by said movable bars from the spaced positions to the adjacent positions whereby said bodies can be removed easily from said members.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ve tical supporting members are substantially as long as said bodies are deep and said members are non-linear to contact the interior surfaces of said bodies at spaced longitudinal points.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,413,995 4/1922 Salerno 198179 X 2,036,647 4/1936 Achauer 134-131 2,367,652 1/1945 Trier 198179 2,718,426 9/1955 Nagy 29487 2,759,593 8/1956 Copping 198179 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

ERNEST A. FALLER, SAMUEL F. COLEMAN,

Examiners. 

1. APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND SUPPORTING HOLLOW BODIES FOR SPRAYING THE BODIES WITH LIQUID IN A SPRAYING ZONE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED, PARALLEL CONVEYOR CHAINS, A PLURALITY OF SPACED, PARALLEL SUPPORTING BARS AFFIXED TO CORRESPONDING PORTIONS OF SAID CHAINS AND EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN, SAID SUPPORTING BARS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SPACED ALONG SAID CHAIN, A MOVABLE BAR SUPPORTED BY EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING BARS AND MOVABLY ATTACHED THERETO FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SUPPORTING BARS, A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL SUPPORTING MEMBERS RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING BARS AND SAID MOVABLE BARS AT UNIFORMLY SPACED INTERVALS WITH THE MEMBERS OF EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING BARS AND THE ASSOCIATED MOVABLE BAR BEING PARALLEL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CONVEYOR CHAINS AND FOR DIRECTING SAID CHAINS FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH THE SPRAYING ZONE, A FIRST CAM LOCATED ADJACENT SAID CHAIN IN FRONT OF SAID SPRAYING ZONE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MOVABLE BARS TO MOVE SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS CARRIED THEREBY FROM POSITIONS ADJACENT THE ASSOCIATED VERTICAL MEMBERS OF SAID SUPPORTING BARS TO POSITIONS SPACED FROM THE ASSOCIATED MEMBERS OF THE SUPPORTING BARS, WITH THE SPACING BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO AN INTERNAL DIMENSION OF THE HOLLOW BODIES TO ENABLE SAID MEMBERS, WHEN IN THE SPACED POSITIONS, TO SUPPORT SAID BODIES IN UPRIGHT POSITIONS WHEN PASSING THROUGH SAID SPRAYING ZONE, AND A SECOND CAM LOCATED ADJACENT SAID CHAIN BEYOND SAID SPRAYING ZONE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MOVABLE BARS TO MOVE THE VERTICAL MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID MOVABLE BARS FROM THE SPACED POSITIONS TO THE ADJACENT POSITIONS WHEREBY SAID BODIES CAN BE REMOVED EASILY FROM SAID MEMBERS. 